Bailey Stober wrote a lengthy Facebook post Monday apologizing for his conduct.

Bailey Stober wrote a lengthy Facebook post Monday apologizing for his conduct.

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After weeks of charges, investigations, more investigations, resolutions, followed by a marathon 13-hour party trial on Sunday, King County Democrats Chair Bailey Stober has finally tended his resignation.

Stober was found guilty on five counts related to personal misconduct.

After weeks of charges, investigations, more investigations, resolutions, followed by a marathon 13-hour party trial on Sunday, King County Democrats Chair Bailey Stober has finally tended his resignation.

He promptly declared his intention to run for the Legislature, which faces enough allegations of juvenile conduct without being saddled with the type of incidents which caused Democrats to seek his resignation.

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After consulting with "friends, family and backers," as well as "informal internal polling," Stober has decided not to seek elective office.

"I want to thank my many supporters who weathered nasty phonecalls and texts, awful on-line comments and rude emails from those who opposed my candidacy," Stober wrote Tuesday on his Facebook page.

"We chose not to respond. They went low and my supporters went high." (Stober was borrowing a phrase from Michelle Obama.)

The former county chairman is not likely to be back on the county payroll. A provision of his separation agreement stated: "Mr. Stober agrees neither to seek nor accept future employment with King County."

During later winter and spring, Stober became the most investigated 20-something in state politics. He was investigated by both King County Democrats and a law firm hired by the Assessor's Office.

The county probe found that Stober did not engage in misconduct while doing his Assessor job, but sustained antics alleged while he headed the county's fractious Democratic Party.

For instance, the investigation sustained the charge that Stober engaged in juvenile behavior by accessing the personal Facebook account of his deputy from her personal device, and publicly posted: "I s***in my pants."

The Democrats chair also allegedly sprayed his deputy with silly string while she was driving and posted a video of the incident to his Instagram account. The county investigation said the action created a "potentially dangerous situation."

In quitting the legislative race, Stober thanked Mayor Nancy Backus of Auburn and Mayor Dana Ralph of Kent for their support.

The Facebook posting went into the third person, saying: "Stober didn't comment as to what the next phase of his life will bring, but he did promise his public service commitment isn't ending, and quoted the candidate:

"I want to refocus my time and energy on serving my community outside of my partisan role."

SeattlePI.com writer Joel Connelly can be reached at 206-448-8160 or joelconnelly@seattlepi.com

Columnist Joel Connelly has written about politics for the P-I since 1973.